Silver Arrow
by Destiny Bond
Summary: The other gods told me to stop wasting my time with her, that I wasn't suppost to raise demigod children. But she was one of two children of mine left, and she always hit the target with her bow. Once, she split my arrow in half! So when she volunteered at the Reaping, I couldn't help but be consumed by grief; my favourite child, gone. Imagine my surprise when she went and won.


**Hello!**

**I'm Destiny Bond, a new writer (or am I?) and I am eager to start writing! Please, tell me what you think of this, and any flames will be used to toast s'mores!**

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><p>"Katniss, remember to pull the string all the way back."<p>

The nine-year-old nodded, and pulled back the string of the bow far, before releasing it into a tree, splitting her father's arrow in half. He smiled,his white teeth shining, pride on his face.

"Good job. Keep that up, you'll be hunting on your own in no time!"

He picked up the young girl and swung her around in his arms. She giggled with delight; she was always happy to be with her Dad.

"Daddy has to go for a while, but he'll be back soon. Keep practising with that bow and arrow."

"Okay Dad." Katniss nodded. She would practise everyday, and show her dad how good she was when he returned.

If only she knew then.

* * *

><p>"Primrose Everdeen."<p>

The world seemed to slow down, time stopped, and I didn't register what had happened. She was one slip, one tiny piece of paper in thousands. I had done what I could, trying to keep her safe, but she was doomed now.

"I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute!"

The voice sounded recognizable; then I saw the sixteen-year-old girl run up to grab little Prim, pulling her behind herself, to protect her. I gasped.

Katniss. My pride and joy, had saved her sister, the wonderful healer. I could feel her courage mixing with fear. I should have seen this coming, but you never do. Even if I had, I couldn't have done anything about it. You can never interfere with fate.

A boy took Primrose, pulling her away as she screamed for Katniss. The scene broke my heart. What good was I if I couldn't even protect them from this?

I backed out of the crowd, found a dark, empty alley, and flashed away in a blinding light.

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><p>I reappeared Olympus, flashing into a hallway. Before I had even gotten my bearings, Artemis pulled me into a hug. She didn't let go for a long time, which was rare, even for her. Finally, she let go, and stared deeply into my eyes.<p>

"Apollo, I don't know what to say." she said softly. Even she understood how badly I felt, and nothing she said could change that.

"Can I just be alone Arty?" I asked, and the Goddess nodded, not even correcting me on using the nickname I gave her.

Unfortunately, dear ol' Dad decided to show up just then, flashing into the hallway and blinding us both briefly.

"Nice work, Apollo. Your daughter in the Games will be amazing, or at least, I assume. If she lasts to the final 8, I will build you a new temple."

And, quick as a bolt of lightning, he flashed away, not even bothering to notice or care about my sadness.

That last comment by Zeus nearly broke the wall I had started building inside. The key word he used was_ if._

_If _she lasts. _If _she doesn't die in the beginning bloodbath I see every year. _If _she doesn't pass away from starvation, or hypothermia, or a horrible death by another ruthless tribute.

_If _my daughter could make it home.

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><p>A few other gods came to comfort me all day. Poseidon gave me a comforting pat on the back, Hera gave me another hug, and Hestia shared her fire with me. The heat was comforting, but only a little.<p>

Others were downright happy about the whole thing. Dionysus could obviously not care about it at all, but Ares wouldn't shut up about it, rubbing it in my face as many time as he could that his son, who volunteered to join the Games, would destroy my daughter. He only stopped recently when Artemis punched his, leaving a nice black eye. Hera didn't get mad at her either; in fact, she was quite angry at Ares for being, as she put it, " disrespectful to Apollo, who's daughter is much more powerful then your son."

And then the day came. I had avoided watching the ceremony's at the beginning, but Hephaestus told me that her stylist was great with his fiery technology. I didn't watch the interviews, but did find out her training score, an outstanding 11! Arty said it was probably my archery skills shining through her. I was quite happy about that.

But today was the day it started, the day she entered an extreme game of survival of the fittest. I was sitting in my temple on Olympus, watching my flat-screen. The Hunger Games were about to begin, and I could only watch as the gong sounded and she ran towards the Cornucopia. _What are you doing? Do you have a death wish?_

I wanted to scream at her, tell her to run to the forest, where she would be safe.

But then she turned around, grabbing a backpack and a piece of plastic and started running, almost getting a knife to the head. I breathed a sigh of relief. She was okay.

I looked towards the golden Cornucopia, searching for what she was prepared to risk her life to get. A gleam of silver was my answer.

A silver bow rested on a pile of blanket rolls next to a sheath of arrows, waiting to be shot. I realized what she had minutes before. Her only chance of winning was gone now.

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><p>My days dragged on, all I could do was watch the screen, staring at her as she ran through the lush forest. It was Arty who recommended doing something more productive.<p>

"Like what?" I asked, rolling my eyes. I had nothing else to do, why waste time having fun when I didn't feel like it?

"Well, how about writing some poetry?" she offered, and already, the gears in my head were spinning, turning as the words flowed through my mind. I knew what to write about.

"Alright, I'll write something. You'll listen to it when I'm done, right?" I asked, knowing she'd feel conflicted. Finally, her shoulders sagged, and she gave a quick nod, before leaving in a silver flash.

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><p><span><em>"Bright sunlight through trees<em>

_Sleek arrows glide through rabbits_

_She cannot lose the Games"_

Artemis looked perplexed as I finished reading to her my poem. "But Apollo," she started, "You say she can't lose, but she doesn't have any arrows. How can she win without them?"

I rolled my eyes. Sometimes, it was like we weren't even related!

"Hello! God of Prophecy here!" I sighed, exasperated.

"Oh. Well, it was a great haiku." Arty said kindly. I could hear the disbelief in her voice.

A new haiku was already forming in my head.

_Disbelieving words,_

_Artemis does not have faith,_

_I'm believing though_

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><p>Katniss saw the mockingjay fly through the trees. Smiling, she whistled a quick tune, and the bird mirrored it back at her.<p>

Then she heard twigs snapping, and quickly climbed up the tree. Hopefully, it wasn't the Careers.

Instead, it was a small deer, perfect in every meaning of the word. It's fur seemed to shine silver.

Then she saw it. A golden picture of a bow spinning above her head. It disappeared, and she swore the deer made a chuckling noise.

Katniss blinked, and the deer was gone, as quickly as it came.


End file.
